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Club Information
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Rivalry between
Blackburn and Burnley The two East Lancashire towns played a key role in Britain’s industrial revolution at the end of the 19th century. Blackburn became one of the first industrialised towns in the world, while Burnley are big producer of cotton. When the towns and valleys of Lancashire played host to a revolution in sporting competition and the birth of league football, Blackburn Rovers FC and Burnley FC are both founding members of The Football League. According to "The Football Fans Census", Blackburn Rovers considered their main rival to be Burnley, followed by Bolton, then Manchester United. Arguably the greatest rivalry in the game, Blackburn have been the bitterest rivals of Burnley. And this feeling is mutual. The rivalry started in 1888, the year the Football League was formed. It consisted of six clubs from Lancashire (Preston North End , Accrington , Blackburn Rovers , Burnley , Bolton Wanderers and Everton) and six from the Midlands (Aston Villa , Derby County , Notts County , Stoke , West Bromwich Albion and Wolverhampton Wanderers). Burnley, in the season 1889-90 won their first honours, winning the Lancashire Cup with a 2-0 final victory over Blackburn. It is widely rumoured among the Clarets that in the 1890s, Blackburn complained to the Football Leage about Burnley's illegal number of Scottish players. |
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Burnley Football club's anthem is Wild Rover by The Pogues with adapted lyrics to offend Blackburn Rovers. The Clarets gave nicknames like Plastics (to mock Blackburn bought the premiership title with Jack Walker's money), Dingles, and Jackburn to their Blackburn rival. Jack Walker's revolution of Blackburn coincided with Burnley's trough. As Burnley failed to win a play-off semil final in the Fourth Division, a plane hired by Rovers fans flew over Turf Moor, trailing a banner that proclaimed: "Staying down 4ever. Luv Rovers. Ha ha ha." In the older days, Burnley supporters demolished the old Riverside Stand at Ewood Park, and hurled debris at the Blackburn support. And in one meeting at Turf Moor, the M65 had to be closed to allow the convoy of 80 buses full of Blackburn supporters to attend the game. The Clarets fans even rioted in their own town centre as the two Lancashire towns are only 8 miles apart. |
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When Jack Walker passed away, the then
Burnley manager Stan Ternett put aside the club rivalry and gave credits
to Jack for his contributions. The Clarets recognized Jack Walker as
a great football person. Over the years, the two clubs have played 91 competitive matches against one another. Blackburn have won 39 of them Burnley have won 37 of them. There have been 15 draws. Blackburn's biggest win over Burnley was also their first, winning 7-1 in 1888. Burnley's biggest win over Blackburn was a 6-0 win in the 1895/96 season. Mike Holgate has written "The Rivals",  a
book about the East Lancashire derby, covering all their official matches
the two played against each other. |
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It would been less hard on the gaffers to losing matches to other clubs, than to live up with a single East Lancashire derby defeat on the hands of their bitterest rivals. Local pride means they have to win, and losing to the rival is not something non-supporter can contemplate. As former Rovers manager Bobby Saxton said: "It's a priviledge to have a stake in games like these...These games give you heroes, you score a winner and you go down in folklore." Burnley's promotion to the Premier League signifies top flight derby matches between the two clubs for 43 years, and a defiant reminder of the spirit upon which the game is founded. Lancashire Police have stepped up security measures ahead of the anticipated East Lancashire Derby. Burnley supporters, regardless of where they live, will be forced to take official coaches from their club's Turf Moor ground.  In the latest move to anger Rovers fans, a group of Burnley scumbags dressed Jack Walker's statue in Burnley football kit ahead of the derby clash. At the widely-anticipated derby on 18 October 2009, the Clarets were unable to end 30 years of defeats to Rovers since their last win in 1979. The Clarets ultimately got what they deserved. Their 3000 travelling fans would have to travel back along the Motorway M65 cursing for revenge. The score is Blackburn 3 Burnley 2. First-half strikes from David Dunn, Franco di Santo and Pascal Chimbonda completed the victory against goals from Robbie Blake and Chris Eagles. 
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